The fact it is possible to hold a referendum on spring hunting has been described as a “phenomenal move” by the head of a British organisation that campaigns against animal cruelty.
Joe Duckworth, the chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said no other country would ever dream of giving people the opportunity to have their say on such a controversial issue.
Mr Duckworth is in Malta to produce a documentary on what he described as the unique scenario unfolding in the Maltese islands. Founded 90 years ago, the NGO prides itself on having successfully spearheaded the campaign to ban fox hunting in the UK in 2004.
I cannot imagine David Camerontaking a similar decision with respect to illegal fox hunting
Mr Duckworth acknowledged that, even after all these years campaigning in favour of animal rights, he could not foresee a situation where the British people would be called upon to cast their vote on such an issue.
Speaking to Times of Malta at the start of his two-week stay, he said he wanted to highlight the leadership taken by Malta, which was setting the standard, as no other country had ever taken this approach.
“Though there are a lot of parallels with the hunting debate going on in the UK, the fact that the Maltese people and the political establishment are turning this into a full democratic vote is hugely special,” he said.
“I cannot see how in the UK we could have a referendum on such an important moral and animal welfare issue.”
While the organisation wanted to lend support to the anti-hunting lobby he was also looking forward to learning from the approach being taken locally.
Mr Duckworth was also full of praise for the decision made by three independent media houses, including this newspaper, to take a joint stand in support of the cause to end spring hunting by ensuring a referendum will be held next spring.
“It is absolutely phenomenal for leading newspapers in Malta to take such a strong stance as I cannot foresee anything similar happening in Britain,” he said.
He also admires the government’s decision to suspend the autumn hunting season in the wake of numerous illegalities.
Some have interpreted this drastic move as an attempt to portray Malta in a good light just before Malta’s European Commissioner designate for the environment, Karmenu Vella, faces tough questioning in the European Parliament. But Mr Duckworth said that, this notwithstanding, the move was a very positive one.
“I cannot imagine British Prime Minister David Cameron coming out and taking a similar decision with respect to illegal fox hunting, which still persists despite being banned 10 years ago.”
The aim of the documentary, he said, was not to sensationalise the debate but to make a credible assessment from their point of view.
“As a matter of fact our intention is to include interviews with hunters as we feel obliged to present both sides of the story even though everyone knows that we are fundamentally against this practice.”
The organisation is also keen to learn the views of women and to delve into the anthropological aspect of the debate.
The documentary is set to be released at the end of the year and the organisation is pinning its hopes that it will be aired by major online UK newspapers like the Daily Mirror and Metro.
“That would guarantee us millions of hits around the world as we truly believe that Malta’s case is unique and so deserves attention,” Mr Duckworth said.